The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-15
PROTECTIONIsTs PROTEST
Against the Tariff Sentiments Of the
President.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-The con-
ference of wool growers and dealers
called by the President of the Ma.
tional Association Of Wool Growers.
now in session here, adopted to-day
the following:
The wool dealers and wool grow
ers of the United States, represent.
ing a capital Of over S50C00O,OO0
and a constituency of 100000
wool growers and wool dealers, as
sembled in conference in the city Of
Washington, the 9th day of Decem.
Der, 1887, having read the annual
message of the President to the Fif-
tieth Congress, declare that the SEN
timents of the message are direct
attack upon their industry-one of
the most important Of the country
and in positive violation Of the Ma.
tional Democratic platform of 1884.
as interpreted by party leaders and
accepted by the rank and file Of the
party; that the argument made by
the enemies of-od industrial pro-
gress, and effectively answered in
nearly every school district Of our
industrial progress, and effectively
answered in nearly every school dis.
trict of our land, and so thoroughly
disproved by the logic Of facts and
history as to need no answer from
us. We acknowledge that our "small
holdings our scattered and unor-
ganized condition, make US an easy
prey Of the free traders, but We had
the right to expect something differ
ent from the Chief Executive of a
nation at once the most happy, pros
porous and contented of any of the
world, made so by policy Of pro.
teclion and development which he
now seeks to destroy. We had the
right to expect that our President
would favor the wool growers of the
United States, and confess our
deep disappointment that instead he
favored the interests OF our foreign
competitors.
Justly alarmed at his position. We
make an appeal from his reccmmen-
dations to all the people-to seven
and Il fourths millions of our
fellow.citizens engaged in agricul-
ture; to the millions engaged in man.
ufacturing; to the army of wage earn
ers, whose wages are maintained by
the protective system; to the trades.
man and the merchant, whose pros
perity depends upon ours-confdent
that their judgment and decision will
be based upon justice and patriotism,
and therefore for the maintenance of
the American policy of protection,
to which the country is indebted for
its unexampled development and
prosperity.
To demonstrte the injustice of the
Presidents policy and the fallacy
of the remedy he proposes for the
reduction Of the surplus, we point to
the fact that if the whole amount of
revenue derived from wool was
abolished, it would reduce the sur
plus about five millions, or less than
ten cents per capita of the popula-
tion, which is paid by foreigners,
while the old war taxes he recon-
mends to be retained yield over one
hundred and nineteen millions, and
is direct tax per capita of two dol.
lars each, and is what makes up the
great bulk of the surplus of one hun
dred and forty millions, and which
fosters a most dangerous monopoly.
We would further add the follow
ing statistics in regard to the wool
industry. The annual revenue de-
rived from imports Of wool under the
tariff 1867 was less than S1,7C0.000,
under tho reduced tariff of 1850 the
revenue last year was over $4,000;
900. The number Of sheep in the
country in 1884 was 50,625,626, in
1887, 44,759,314-a decrease Of near-
iy 100000 and a diminution of the
annual wool product of over 25,000,-
900; thus showing that reducing the
tariff by the Act of 1888 has in.
creased the revenue from Imported
woods and diminished the number of
sheep in the United States about II
per cent. and the annual production
in the same proportion.
The Presidents policy would
bring about the detruction of this in
dustry, and the same policy Of reduc.
ton or abolition of the tariff would
end in disaster to all the other
industrial productive enterprises Of
the country.